Coleus plant named &#39;uf12-82-3&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘UF12-82-3’ is a new coleus plant distinguished by having a combination of novel mounded growth habit, excellent heat tolerance, and lance-shaped leaves consistently colored deep maroon with bright green margins that is significantly different than other coleus plants.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Solenostemon scutellarioides

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘UF12-82-3’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of coleus plant named ‘UF12-82-3’. ‘UF12-82-3’ originated from an open pollination conducted in May-November 2011 in Gainesville, Fla. between the female coleus plant ‘UF11-73-8’ (unpatented) and an unknown male coleus plant. A single seedling was chosen in May 2012 for further asexual propagation in Gainesville, Fla. (see FIG. 1 for pedigree).

‘UF12-82-3’ has been reproduced asexually for over one year through vegetative cuttings and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations. ‘UF12-82-3’ was first propagated asexually by meristem tip cuttings in May, 2012 in Gainesville, Fla., and has remained true-to-type since that time.

‘UF12-82-3’ has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.

When ‘UF12-82-3’ is compared to the female parent ‘UF11-73-8’, both plants have lance-shaped leaves, however ‘UF12-82-3’ leaves are deeper maroon in color, while ‘UF11-73-8’ leaves are more orange-red with lemon yellow margins. In addition, ‘UF12-82-3’ has a more vigorous, lateral, and spreading growth form than ‘UF11-73-8’.

When ‘UF12-82-3’ is compared to the commercial cultivar ‘UF08-19-10’ (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/120,608), both plants have lance-shaped leaves and a well-branched, mounded habit, however ‘UF08-19-10’ has a red streak through the mid-vein of the leaves, progressing to maroon, then emerald green at the leaf margin, while ‘UF12-82-3’ does not have a red streak through the mid-vein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of ‘UF12-82-3’ when grown under normal horticultural practices in Gainesville, Fla. ‘UF12-82-3’ has a combination of novel mounded growth habit, excellent heat tolerance, and lance-shaped leaves consistently colored deep maroon with bright green margins that is significantly different than other coleus plants. It has superior stability in foliage color in both sun and shade conditions, maintaining stable color in all conditions. It has a vigorous but compact spreading growth habit with excellent lateral branching when grown as a stock plant, thus providing ample vegetative propagules for producers. This plant is desirable for long-season performance in the landscape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This new coleus plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs, which show the plant's form and foliage. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. FIGS. 2 and 3 were taken from twelve-week old plants pinched once at four weeks after stick and grown in March-May, 2014 in a glass greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla.

FIG. 1—shows the pedigree of the claimed plant.

FIG. 2—shows the growth habit, form, and foliage of the claimed plant.

FIG. 3—shows a close-up of the foliage.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘UF12-82-3’. The detailed description was obtained using twelve-week old plants grown in March-May, 2014 in a glass greenhouse in Gainesville, Fla. The plants were pinched 4 weeks after cuttings were rooted, then grown in 1-gallon pots for approximately 8 weeks. Color references are to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 2007 5th Edition.

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Lamiaceae.         -   Botanical.—Solenostemon scutellarioides.         -   Common name.—Coleus.         -   Cultivar name.—‘UF12-82-3’. -   Plant description:     -   -   Form.—Spreading.         -   Habit.—Mounded.         -   Height (from top of soil).—25 cm.         -   Width (horizontal plant diameter).—55-60 cm. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative meristems having at least 1 node.         -   Time to initiate roots.—3-4 days.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—7-10 days.         -   Root habit.—Fibrous.         -   Root description.—Callus forms in 2 to 3 days, roots             initiate in 3-4 days and become a highly branched cutting in             7-10 days. -   Branches:     -   -   Quantity per plant.—6-8 main branches per plant with             numerous side branches, pinched once.         -   Branch color.—RHS N77A.         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Pubescence.—Not present.         -   Stem description.—Square-shaped stem, 1.5 cm in diameter at             the soil line.         -   Branch diameter.—0.6-0.7 cm at the base of a 35-cm long             branch.         -   Branch length.—25-30 cm.         -   Internode length.—3-4 cm.         -   Anthocyanin.—N/A. -   Leaves:     -   -   Quantity of leaves per branch.—25-30 Arrangement: Whorled.         -   Fragrance.—Not fragrant.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Length.—9-11 cm.         -   Width.—4-6 cm.         -   Apex.—Abruptly acuminate.         -   Base.—Oblique.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Leaf texture (both surfaces).—Slightly pubescent upper             surface; smooth lower surface.         -   Pubescence color (both surfaces).—non-descript.         -   Venation color.—Upper surface: Margin-RHS 144A; Center-RHS             N77A Lower surface: RHS N79A.         -   Venation pattern.—Upper surface: Arcuate Lower surface:             Reticulate.         -   Color.—Immature leaf: Upper surface: Margin-RHS 144B;             Center-RHS N77A Lower surface: Margin-RHS 144C; Center-RHS             138B.         -   Color.—Mature leaf: Upper surface: Margin-RHS 144A;             Center-RHS N77A Lower surface: Margin-RHS 143C; Center-RHS             138A.         -   Petiole length.—7-8 cm.         -   Petiole diameter.—0.2-0.3 cm.         -   Petiole color.—RHS N77A.         -   Petiole texture.—Smooth, no pubescence. -   Flowers and seeds: Flowers and seeds have not been observed. -   Fruit/seed set: Fruit/seed not observed. -   Disease and insect resistance: Disease and insect resistance is     typical of the species, thus no claims are made of any superior     disease or insect resistance with this cultivar. The most common     insect pests observed on this plant in Gainesville, Fla. have been     long-tailed or citrus mealybugs (Pseudococcus sp.), which occur on     older stock plant material held in the greenhouse for over 3-4     months. Impatiens Necrotic Spot Virus (Bunyaviridae) has also been     observed in plants confined in greenhouses with mixed crops     (peppers) infected with Western flower thrips (Frankliniella     occidentalis). The most common pathogen of this species in the US is     downy mildew (Peronospora lamii). This pathogen has been observed in     stock materials grown closely together in cooler growing seasons. 

1. A new and distinct Solenostemon scutellarioides plant called ‘UF 12-82-3’ as shown and described herein. 